LAREDO, Texas - The Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame class of 2024 was honored late last month at La Posada Hotel in Laredo.
Someone associated with the event for many years was Andres “Andy” Ramos, Jr., the late Webb County Judge.
Ramos, who died in August 2023, was recognized towards the end of this year’s event. Here is a video tribute to Ramos from the event featuring his son, Alonzo Ramos:
https://youtu.be/p9Si06UoBjY
Former Texas Border Coalition workforce development committee chairman and Laredo College director Blas Castañeda was a good friend of the late judge.
“For me, Andres Ramos was El Hombre del Pueblo. Andres was a leader with a vibrant desire to champion his community and our border region. He was a simple person but with a creative and powerful vision to help transform his city, Laredo, and the county of Webb,” Castañeda told the Rio Grande Guardian.
“Judge Ramos instilled self confidence in all he represented and created an atmosphere of working together for a purpose. He made partnerships to support every vision to action dreams that needed to be built. Andy above all was a Christian who cared about all and brought folks together for the good in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Cynthia Mares, a former director at Laredo College, said she first got to know Ramos when they worked on workforce development initiatives.
“Judge Ramos - I always called him judge - ran some workforce programs back then. They were called the manpower programs and he was a director. That's how I began to work with him. I was at the college, back then it was Laredo Junior College and I was in the economic development department f the college,” Mares recalled.
“So, I worked very closely with him and that's where I got to know him more. I got to learn about his work ethic, his honestly, and his big heart. He was always doing something for the good of the community and always trying to better the quality of life of the less fortunate. Those workforce programs, obviously, were a great window of opportunity for the less fortunate.”
Later, when she worked for a financial institution, Mares got to know Ramos’ wife, Adriana Sanchez Ramos.
“She was an officer there. So as top women executives we got to engage and participate and work closely. And, of course, that extended out to the Judge’s family. Whenever there were family events, I would always see a loving family, man. But what I remember most, like I said, is the Judge always thinking of something to do for the community, to better the lives of others. That was always I took a lesson from. I would always tell him, I want to be like you when I grow up.”
Here is the official obituary for Andres “Andy” Ramos, Jr.
July 12, 1939 - August 5, 2023
Judge Andres “Andy” Ramos, Jr. was born and raised in Laredo, Texas, by his grandmother, Jesusita Carbajal, who taught him the core values of God, family, honesty, and hard work. That foundation instilled by his grandmother taught Andy to appreciate life and to help others less fortunate. He was a fine gentleman known for his signature style of wearing his cowboy hat and shining boots at all times and was a very committed member of the Laredo community.
Andy was a proud graduate of the 1958 class of Martin High School, where he met his wife, Adriana, in choir class. Andy would playfully pull Adriana's hair to get her attention. They began dating, enjoyed going to the movies, married in 1964, and had three children. Andy and Adriana shared a whole life, most recently celebrating 59 years. Two of their many traditions as a couple was having their shrimp candlelight dinner every Friday and spending the weekend at their ranch, El Milagrito. Andy earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in 1963 from Texas A & M Kingsville, and in 1973 received his Master of Education from East Texas State University. Andy served in the United States Air Force before becoming a teacher. He later went to work for the South Texas Private Industry Council as the Director of Operations for nineteen years. He assisted disadvantaged and unemployed community members of Laredo by sending them to training to help them find stable jobs. Andy was a business owner of Pure Spring, Air & Water for over 35 years. However, Andy's innermost calling was to become a public servant for the people of Laredo and his vision for the future.
Andy’s vision had always been to improve and move Laredo forward. Most importantly, his philosophy in public government was to be transparent, honest, and accountable to the citizens of Laredo. With this philosophy, Andy opened the door for future public officials by establishing the groundwork of accountability in the Webb County Offices.
Andy was elected to the City Council in 1978 and served three consecutive terms, one as Mayor Pro tempore. Andy, a progressive visionary, worked diligently as an activist for the youth, elderly, businesses, and neighborhoods. With the assistance of other public officials, one of the many significant accomplishments was having the first public emergency ambulance service established with the Laredo Fire Department and requiring firefighters to become certified paramedics.
Another great add-on to the City of Laredo was securing funding for the West Martin Field, later named Veteran’s Baseball Field, and Benavides Baseball Field in South Laredo. These were the first baseball fields established in Laredo. Andy also proposed the establishment of the Laredo Public Communications Commission, which today serves as the HUB for public access channels as a benefit to all area non-profits and government units (School Board, City Council, and Webb County Commissioners meetings). Andy established a record as an active member of the Laredo City Council, being the subject of numerous newspaper headlines noting major city projects that benefited the community. Andy became the “people’s choice.”
In 1987, Laredo voters elected Andy as the Webb County Judge. During his four-year term, Judge Ramos worked tirelessly to create a system of accountability, fairness, and transparency in Webb County. Judge Ramos’ most notable accomplishments that he established and are still in place at Webb County today are the following: Purchasing Agent Department, Public Defender’s Office, securing funding for Loop 20, known as Bob Bullock Loop from Mines Road to US 359, hired the first grant writer in Webb County’s history, and established Webb County’s first model subdivision rules that led to the creation of the Planning Department. The leadership quality of Judge Ramos was to keep the county voters in mind; therefore, Judge Ramos was the first judge to ask for the voters’ approval, without raising taxes, to build the Justice Center where the courts would be housed. This building is now known as the Billy Hall Administrative Building. Another example of leadership, with the assistance of Judge Leodoro Martinez, Judge Ron Carr, and Judge Edgar Ruiz, for the first time, created a group of 30 South Texas County Judges that brought the Democratic Presidential debate aired nationwide to South Texas and possibly the last. Judge Ramos also lobbied for the State of Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission to take over Lake Casa Blanca and make it a State Park first-ever! Judge Andy turned 50 acres of the State Park and dedicated the land to the Boys Scouts of Laredo. Lastly, Judge Ramos funded and dedicated the Webb County Juvenile Detention Facility, now known as the Salomon Casseb Juvenile Detention Center.
Judge Ramos accomplished many initiatives for the City of Laredo. He is known as a straight shooter but a simple man making a difference in his community by serving others through public service. All the while never losing sight of his core values and, most importantly, his constant pillar of strength, his wife of 59 years of marriage, Adriana Sanchez Ramos. Judge Andy Ramos was the "people's choice," as he always continued to help anyone that requested assistance or needed guidance. He was a loyal parishioner and Extraordinary Minister at San Luis Rey Church for 52 years. Judge Ramos was proud of being part of establishing the Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame in 1975 and had been President since the 1970s. He was also a Laredo Lulac Council No. 12 member, a Texas Soil and Water Conservation #337 board member, and a Tejano Democrats member. Lastly, the City of Laredo dedicated East Central Park naming it the "Andres 'Andy' Ramos, Jr. Park which he was incredibly proud and appreciative of this recognition.
Left behind to cherish his memory is his wife, Adriana Sanchez Ramos; children: Alejandro (Lisa) Ramos, Alonzo (Teresa) Ramos, Aaron (Angela) Ramos; grandchildren: Alejandro “AJ” (Salina) Ramos, Jr., Alfredo “Fred” (Paulina) Ramos, Andres Ramos, Analis Isabel Ramos; great-grandchildren: Juliana Sofia Ramos, Alejandro Ramos III; as well as numerous nephews, nieces, cousins, relatives and many good friends.
